On the odd chance that our friend Chomsky is watching... 

The commentary in this blog is on target on a broad, sweeping, theoretical level, but if we take a closer look at the fascinating things unfolding on the ground in Colombia these days (very much deserving of attention), the broad level of analysis is too simplistic to capture the reality, calling for a more sophisticated discussion.

1) PARAMILITARY DEMOBILIZATION.  Right-wing Uribe has led the effort to "demobilize" some 16,000 right-wing paramilitaries to date.  It is without a doubt Uribe's intention, at least partly, to legitimize the power of his friends in the AUC (i.e. bring them into the "legitimate" political life of the country).  (See HRW report "Smoke and Mirrors").   But why, then, is he threatening them all with extradition to the US?  A radical friend of mine suggests that not everyone is invited to Uribe's banquet.  But what a gamble for Uribe as well as for the paras!  A dramatic shake-up of power over which no single person or group can possibly be the mastermind.  A shake-up which can also be hugely exploited by progressive groups, not to mention the guerrillas, who sit intact in the forest.

2) BIG NEW USAID PROJECTS. Aside from Plan Colombia, two massive new USAID projects--"ADAM" and "MIDAS"--are starting up this year, a combined value of some $300 million for "Alternative Development," and "Local government and Democracy Strengthening."  These are probably the largest USAID projects in the world right now.  Imperialist tentacles?  Not so simple.  I have seen the abstracts of the projects and many of the objectives listed there would actually be quite progressive if actually implemented.  Talk of "establishing and opening up spaces of public participation in processes of local democratic governance" etc.  Very contradictory to the doctrine of internal security, Plan Colombia, etc.  In order to continue fulfilling US policy here, ADAM and MIDAS will have to do exactly the opposite of what their Terms of Reference set forth.  I don't deny that the US is capable of such Orwellian/Foucaultian things, but once again, as with the demobilization, the gamble is huge--a window of opportunity is opened for progressive/left leaning groups to advance their agendas.  They simply have to advocate and push for what the US State Dept. itself has set forth in the TOR for the projects.

3) FTAA NEGOTIATIONS--neoliberal/imperialist/elitist consolidation of markets and power?  Not so simple.  The right wing here in Colombia is nearly as critical of the FTAA as the left.  Op-eds appear in El Tiempo with titles like "They take everything and offer nothing."  The US delegate to the negitiations is commonly referred to as "the Iron Lady."  Uribe himself has snapped back at the US Ambassador's steady stream of arrogant FTAA remarks.  The world of the elites seems not to be so homogenous as it first appears.

Anyways, please enlighten me fellow bloggers!

T.F.

Without democracy there will always be wars. Just the way it is I'm afraid. Another propaganda effort on TV here btw re:Venezuela. Sent an email to the socalled reporter (who is stationed in Washington) and the news chiefs of the TV-channel. So far he's been unable to take the criticism on board, and refered me to an article from ForeignPolicy. Read the first paragraph, and it was filled with lies about Chavez being a tyrant and dictator. That's the only source he's been willing to give me so far :rollingeyes: I'll try and get through the article though, and hopefully rip it to shreds ;) Too bad it's hard to come by good statistics of how the development have been so far under Chavez. Fair amount of numbers available from UNDP, WB, IMF and IDB, but not many are comparable (lack of data over many years), and the oil strike makes them all hard to compare so far. Next UNDP report will hopefully clear up a few things. If anybody got good sources, by all means put it up here.

correction, I should have said t seem that the US did not stop the pseudo-napoleonic wars..

lol pangaea! [quote] Yeah, I hope Canada won't stick to the US' ass again. Remember a recent Chomsky comment about it actually. He said it took real genius to put Canada off the US. Quite funny :D[/quote] Was he really talking about Jean Chretien ? Yes that is so Funny..Lots o Canadian would disagree with this genius statement, regardless,To tell you the truth, I was proud of Chretien for one of the rarest time.. Too bad there were invasion anyway..

It seem that the US did not stop the napoleonic wars..

Yeah, I hope Canada won't stick to the US' ass again. Remember a recent Chomsky comment about it actually. He said it took real genius to put Canada off the US. Quite funny :D I'm glad the great majority of us are against the war, just wish 80% wished for real change politically as well. But today our left finance minister went out with recommendation to boycott Israeli products. It's something her (yes, it's a she) party has been in favor of for ages, but it's against the government's official policy. They say it's not gonna get us anywhere, which I think is bollocks to put it in no uncertain terms. The only language the business world - and by extension the politicans - understand, is economical sabre-raslings. Hit the big powers econimcally, and they will cave. If consumers worldwide stopped buying products from war-profiteers there would be a change of policy, as it's the only language they understand. Millions and millions of people protested before the Iraq invasion, actions unprecedented in history, and yet they proceeded, even witout UN approval. If people stopped buying American products, they would have to listen to the people. This is an arena where we as the people (or the "great best" as some elites have called us) have potentially great power. It's been quite effective in France and Germany. No reason why it can't be on the world stage as well.

Wow Pangea, 80% of the population is a huge percentage; that says that 80% of Norwegians cares for others.. Canada was opposed, even our Prime Minister; he resigned soon after his opposition. Recnetly we had a coalition of liberals and liberal slightly to the left for government. This goverment fell and an election is being called. I am dreading the extreme-right for government and somewhat the separation of Canada because I believe that the biggest threat against our country is The US would would acquires our natural ressources ( like water) more easily. The last thing Id want for government is a gov that does everything the US tell us what to do.( well this being the true canadian history)

Arg, post-limits are bugging me... I'd also like to say that Chomsky is a real beacon of light in a dark world. It is quite terrible when telling the truth becomes a radical and almost revolutionary act. He is quite old now, and I hope he'll be with us for many years to come, but I hope somebody is learning the trade, cause we dearly need it on a long timescale, as well as the short.

I doubt he cares whether we call him Dr, Professor or Mr. I call him Noam Chomsky, that should be fine. He's interested in people caring and doing something about matters he talks about, not his person. I'll follow up Cyranoo's comment with one of my own country Norway. Our former (centre-)right government was going to openly support the invasion and following occupation of Iraq. It was only thanks to massive protests before the invasion that they did not dare to do this. They did however "go behind our backs" and supported the atrocity diplomatically, and with time also militarily. Our new centre-left government has pulled out most military personell from Iraq, but there's still one NATO-officer left I think. And then we are training Iraqi quislings at a NATO-camp in Norway, which I think is despicable. By doing this we are supporting the US and UK occupation of Iraq, which 80% of the Norwegian population is againt. Not long ago we had a propaganda effort on TV as well. It basically said Chavez was a horrible man and dictator, that people had it worse now, hospitals were under-equipped etc. When the 'reporter' cofronted Chavez with this, he replied "What hospital is this?" That was apparently "dodging the issues" and "going offtopic". I bet there are a lot of this kind of propaganda on US newschannels too, and the opposition controlled media outlets in Venezuela, which is most of them.

Sure I'll call Mr. Chomsky , monsieur Chomsky or even Doctor Chomsky if you like ( I am not sure he cares..). In my opinion Doctor Chomsky is one of them, TRUE american hero whom had the nerve to speak against imperialism non-sense and against the agression of helpless people.

"And he's not Prof. Chomsky; he's MR CHOMSKY. This isn't university now! So much for left-wing egalitarianism." It's 'Dr. Chomsky' if you want to get technical about it.

As a Canadian, I am often ashamed by the cowardice of our canadian political leaders specially on their silence upon the war in Iraq is concerned. I do wish one day someone with has much convictions as Chavez against free trade do run for elections here. Hopefully Chavez example will be followed.. Has anyone noticed the world is a WAY worst place since saddam hussein has left ? Has anyone noticed that since the Iraq invasion and occupation countless of innocent Iraqis(kids) died and that the only Iraqi guilty one there is still alive..?

"However, from what we can see in the capitalist press, I think that FARC and ELN are definitely aligning themselves with the revolution--and if that is the case, the revolution *will* come to Colombia." The enemy of your enemy is not your friend. From what I have heard FARC and ELN are thugs who maim and murder.They also kidnap children and turn them into child soldiers. The peasants are as afraid of them as they are the paramilitary. As one villager said in a recent radio documentary, the paramilitary kill and rob us because they say we are communists, the guerilla do the same because they say we are CIA agents. The FARC might have once been "revolutionary" but the civil war has been dragging on for so long that many FARC commandos were born into the war.They have no clue why they are fighting, it is just the way the world is. Some splinter groups still adhere to the old ideal of liberation but they are the minority. Most have become regular bandits who terrorize the countryside. Many keep on fighting simply because this is the only life they know and they have no other skills to make a living. Colombia is a tragedy. There is no glory on either sides.

I think first of all, the reason the US hasn't been able to quash Chavez is two-fold: First, because he's merely the tip of the iceberg in a popular revolution, and second, because that revolution is going on throughout South America, not just Venezuela. You can find it from the occupied factories in Argentina to the rise of MAS in Bolivia to the ousting of a pro-US government in Uruguay. I'm also not sure if I agree with Dr. Chomsky's assertion that the Colombian guerrillas are seen as "just another invading army." Any campesino can tell the difference between those who want to help them and those who execute union leaders on the shop floor (such as the right-wing paramilitaries). The question for me is whether FARC and ELN are identifying with the unfolding revolution in South America--if they don't, I think Dr. Chomsky's analysis will eventually be correct and these groups will isolate themselves from popular sentiment. However, from what we can see in the capitalist press, I think that FARC and ELN are definitely aligning themselves with the revolution--and if that is the case, the revolution *will* come to Colombia.

Chavez needs an act of god to protect itself from American forces. The plans made. His days are numbered like the panama guy back in the 80's or was the the 90's? Public memory of these invasions dimms each passing year as the corporate indoctrination entrenches upon my brain. I'm hungry, what's on TV? This episode has Chavez holed up in some Church just like Noreiga, while the marines blast Ashley Simpson 24 hours a day to break his will to live. La la, Chavez's days are numbered and I heard that from Pat on TV. Chavez should buy a pope mobile with all that oil revenue. With each passing day Chavez's homeland is under greater scrutiny. I bet forces are at work now creating the 'powderkeg' for tommorow. Good luck Chavez! that's about as much as the capitalist system offers anyone. anyone got some luck? The jungles will provide excellent cover for American covert special forces. just like the borg. assimulate or die chavez. Pat said so. I heard it on TV.

"Ghandi is a myth. Almost all British colonies gain formal independence after WWII anyway." Where did you get this nonsense? Both my parents are from Pakistan, and they all respect Gandhi -- even though they are Muslims. For Muslims to respect a Hindu leader is a tremendous thing, and the social movements Gandhi started brought more upheaval than anything you could imagine. "The Brits were broke and were probably looking for a way to exit gracefully even before Ghandi showed up." The British history books themselves disagree with you. And Gandhi's followers, many of them, were shot, imprisoned, tortured -- Gandhi himself endured two of those atrocities. And I just think you need to look a little more into the subject, especially when you claim that the Untouchables disliked Gandhi, because that is just contradictory to history.

As Chomsky is not shy to demand payment for merely moving his lips, I'm sure he also charges for the interviews he gives to CNN and other media outlets. However, he has accused the corporate media of being complicit in U.S. atrocities, such as the invasion of East Timor, in which a couple of hundred thousand people were massacred. Seems any kind of money is acceptable to Chomsky, even money that is dripping with blood. >Prof. Chomsky doesn't answer on this blog... That's right! You have to make the effort to contact him. He doesn't visit his own blog because there's no money in it for him. And he's not Prof. Chomsky; he's MR CHOMSKY. This isn't university now! So much for left-wing egalitarianism. Before you contact him, remember that, at the end of "Manufacturing Consent", he says he wishes "the world would go away", that people would leave him alone, let him get on with giving speeches for whopping great sums. Also, he's far too intelligent to bother discussing these issues with the masses. What can we have to say that would possibly interest him? Yup, Chomsky is a firm believer in the class system, everyone knowing their place, despite all his fine words about the harm class division does to society. Chomsky is a member of the elite. You're not! He is far too important a person to run his own blog. He is a king on a thrown. He gets paid for exerting himself. You don't! Peasants shouldn't be rewarded; it gives them the wrong idea.

Chomsky, as we now know, charges $12,000 and up to speak. This, despite the fact that he's already very wealthy. http://washtimes.com/culture/20040607-011222-2830r.htm http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13616 Chomsky has spoken about the 100,000+ dead in Iraq. These people suffered and died, and their deaths are used as mere fodder in Chomsky's speeches for personal gain. The families of the dead have received minimal compensation from America. However, Chomsky - a U.S. citizen - has been handsomely rewarded. America slaughters, and Chomsky collects. A very profitable symbiotic relationship. Chomsky feeds off the misery and suffering of others to the tune of $12,000 for an hour or two of speaking. Perhaps Chomsky will consider donating all the proceeds of his next speech to the families who lost loved ones in Iraq, and make it clear that that is what he intends to do. Or is Chomsky just a bit too American to do the decent thing. Just a bit too fond of money and wealth.

'He's solid. But I just wonder, would Noam pick up a gun? Or invent one? Maybe Ghandi has an answer." Bruce Cockburn has a song called "if I have a rocket launcher". The setting is the CIA sponsored white terror in El Savador. In the song he described how the military brutalized, massacred and terrorized the pesants with machine guns and helicopters. The lyrics then goes " If I have a rocket laucher, I will relaliate...if I have a rocket laucher, some sons of a bitch will die.." Ghandi is a myth. Almost all British colonies gain formal independence after WWII anyway. The Brits were broke and were probably looking for a way to exit gracefully even before Ghandi showed up. In the hey days of the Empire the wry little man would have been shot like a dog or rotten in jail without you even hearing about him. BTW, the Dalits(untouchables) have a rather low opinion about Ghandi.

"Is Chavez a democratic leader, or is he really a dictator?" I can answer this one. He has been elected three times by wide majorities in UN observed and confirmed democratic elections. Which is alot more than we citizens of the US can say about our president. Prof. Chomsky doesn't answer on this blog, you can email him via MIT and he is good about getting back quick.

These are my questions for Prof. Chomsky, if he's listening: Is Chavez a democratic leader, or is he really a dictator? Does U.S. policy in Latin America actually have to do with "imperialism," as Chavez often claims? To what limit is this founded? I appreciate a response as soon as it can be available. Thank you.

It's strange to hear the wisdom of Noam Chomsky for a small price. He's solid. But I just wonder, would Noam pick up a gun? Or invent one? Maybe Ghandi has an answer.

Re: Jose 10/31/2005 Unlimited exploitation of locals by powerful investors sounds a lot like what goes on in America every day. Fuuny, how neo-liberalism tells us "market forces" will make everything just peachy, but where, exactly, were the large corporations during and immediately after Katrina? When the businesses want handouts, they get tax breaks, write-offs, NAFTA, OPIC, Plan Columbia, guaranteed loans, and so on. And on. But the people in New Orleans were supposed to gut it via some fantasy of the "rugged individualism" b.s. I don't think there is conspiracy in this country, either. There are organizations with very specific desires who have the money to influence people in elected--and non-elected--positions who can give them what they want. I mean, do you think Clinton would have tea and crumpets in the White House with poor folks, or let anyone but a 50-100k donor sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom? I'm a health and safety manager. I work for a construction firm that does 100% of its work in this country. I've heard tell of the profit margins for companies in this country versus those who exploit labor in other countries. People I've met from companies that work in South America hardly seem like conspirators. There's hardly an ideology involved. Just the lure of dinero. Plenty of it. Money is an ideology all its own.

Zaid, use your position to its fullest advantage. We all can play our part and prevent what might happen, we just need to be ready and ahead of what is going on. What can the rest of use do? How do activists approch this unique situation? Any inputs people?

I already mentioned this once: I'm on my hard-right congressman's youth advisory council, and I wish I had the courage to attack him on what he says about Venezuela. I agree with Venezuela and most of what Chavez is doing -- and I don't want to see my Congressman help attack it. I wish I had more courage.

I am sorry I did not mean a conspiracy by the master slave comment, I meant the Hegelian master slave dialectic. That is, that the oppressed will be the ones who know the most about the system and be the driving force of human emancipation. No trilateral commision or other white men are evil stuff, simply the way history unfoldes. My comment on vigilance I hold to. The amount of oil in Venezuela along with the possible examples that are being shown by the occurances in S. America creates a very real possiblity of some sort of US "intervention", whether overt or covert. In fact many think the coup was instrumented by washington. We failed to stop the last war from starting, will we act in time to prevent the next?

"This kind of radical rhetoric implies that there is a group of evil White Men sitting a cabal room plotting to enslave all poor people of the World. That's just not the case." Evil? No, I don't think so. White men? Usually... depending on the region. Tyranny and oppression are so common in human civilization that you can call it the normal condition of states in the world, with a few exceptions scattered here and there. True freedom is so rare, and this is no accident ! Let's face it: the vast majority of state leaders took power by force, or by class systems, not by real democratic process. Is that not conspiracy? I say that it is, and so it logically follows that most of the world is run by conspirators. Democracy is the exception to business as usual, so forgive me for saying I think your view on this is frightfully naive.

I'm sorry if I offended you, Jose, or others. I just don't want us to become so radicalized that we begin to say things that we cannot prove, and create conspiracies that aren't there. We need to challenge and be vigilant in the face of those who are doing ill, but let's always try to be realistic in what we say.

Just fly down to Vz and drop to your knees already. Hero worship is so lame.

"It appears that the slave does indeed know more about the workings of the masters system, including how to destroy it. For the revolution we need only look south. Vigilance is needed to starve off any attempts at military intervetion by the empire." This kind of radical rhetoric implies that there is a group of evil White Men sitting a cabal room plotting to enslave all poor people of the World. That's just not the case. There is imperialism and corporatism and all those things in the world, but they aren't connected in a dark conspiracy -- and talking about them like that is alienating to most of our audience and in the end just unrealistic. My sister isn't part of the "master" system seeking to enslave us all with the Gestapo Homeland Security, and my Congressman is idiotic to support those who are just looking out for business interests, but he's certainly not any tool of the "empire" that needs to be confronted by "vigilance." I agree with the general thoughts here, but let's not be unrealistic to the point where we are creating phantoms where they don't exist.

Wasn't this ironic. I'm just done writing a paper on Venezuela and Chavez, and then Chomsky comments on it. I agree with bernard. The elites in the US and Latin-America must be terribly upset by now. So far nothing seems to work to repress the Chavez government. Extensive propaganda campaigns in Venezuelan media does little to change the opinions about him. The coup got knocked down within 48 hours, and the two-month long oil-strike hurt the economy enourmously, but still didn't achieve its goal of forcing Chavez to resign. Whether they succeed in bringing the opposition together for the 2006 election remains to be seen, but either way, I doubt Chavez will lose the election. He's done too much good for the country's poor, and they have a lot more votes than the upper middle-class and the rich. I think it's extremely interesting what's going on in the region now, and I hope the progress will continue unabated. Although we have to expect more strenuous efforts by the US. I'd also be very interested to hear what Chomsky has to say about the developments in Venezuela, in a more thorough fashion than short blogs can achieve.

Professor Chomsky, I've had quite a few relations with the US Government myself. My sister is an intern at Homeland Security, and I myself have taken place in a counterterrorism simulation (I learned a lot about covert operations and surveillance in urban cities during it!). I'm on Congressman Tom Price's "Youth Advisory Council." He's a freshman US Representative, and he basically takes the neoconservative rhetoric and expands on it with an additional dose of anti-immigration, pro-gun arguments than usual. He gave us a presenation on issues, and he had this to say of Chavez: "He's not terrible pro-american, and he's doing things with oil that are causing unrest in the region." I didn't have the bravery to show him up in that meeting, but I knew what he said was either ignorance on his part or blatant lies. His "unrest" includes offering a million more people the right to read and giving thousands more healthcare and housing. Among his feats are offering cheap oil to devestated and impovershed US communities. Yes, he's quite the demon. While I generally agree with Professor Chomsky and the Znet crew, I'd caution against the kind of rhetoric I see by MTbrad:

Your right r4d20 we should disregard the fact that venezualian poverty has reduced, illiteracy rates have reduced, infant mortality rates have reduced and there are many more schools and doctors, simply because of this story. I too would be interested in what Chomsky would have to say about Chavez's policies and programs. It appears that the slave does indeed know more about the workings of the masters system, including how to destroy it. For the revolution we need only look south. Vigilance is needed to starve off any attempts at military intervetion by the empire.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/10/30/chavez.halloween.ap/ Yeah, this guy is playing with a full deck.

I don't find much to argue against in Chomsky's comments. However, it seems to me that there is another side to the coin which is worth highlighting with a question... Does anyone else have the impression that there is enormous positive potential in current developments in Latin America? Has the political and social climate there ever been as ripe as now for achieving rollbacks of neoliberalism and extending meaningful democracy through the concerted and solidaritous actions of activism throughout Latin America and North America? I mean if we take into account the Chavez government, the Zapatistas, participatory movements in Brazil, landless peasant movements in several countries, and likely improvements in the Cuban economy as a result of more intensive cooperation with other Latin American countries, western elites have to be shitting their pants. Undoubtedly us privileged North American activists will have a vital solidaritous role to play as the drama unfolds.